Disjunction
by MalenaV
Summary: Series of one-shots. l Ch. 12: Dreams l He came to her in a dream with promises of his return.
1. Change

He knew. He knew that they would come. They always did.

He found it annoying sometimes.

He remembered his earlier days spent with her on missions. He remembered her stepping out into the battle, in the midst of the danger.

He found it annoying then.

He never wanted to see her get hurt, so he would move to grab her, to pull her to safety. But, sometimes, he would be too late and someone else would have that honor.

He found that annoying then.

He remembered seeing her sitting by the window, peeling apples for him and not for him. He liked it, but at the same time hated it.

He found that annoying then.

He saw her running out after the both of them, stepping into the battle, in the midst of the danger.

He found that annoying then.

He saw him jump in and grab their hands in the nick of time, throwing her out of danger, into the comfortable realm of safety. He felt relieved and yet wholly unsettled.

He found that annoying then.

He remembered seeing her that night, crying, crying for him, holding him back. He saw her walking towards him, walking behind him. He was behind her then and caught her. He saved her from falling. He placed her on the bench. He walked away. He had his chance to save her from something and would never see her again.

He found that annoying then.

He saw her a few years later, fifty feet below him. He was angry, seeing her out like this in the battle, in the midst of danger. He wondered, for a moment, if anything had changed since. So, he lunged at her, fully intent on killing her. He knew, though, he knew that would never happen. He knew someone would come because they always did. He was right and she was saved.

He found that annoying.

He saw her in front of him again, her back facing him. She had stepped into the battle, in the midst of the danger. He wondered, for a moment, if anything had changed. He lunged at her, fully intent on killing her. He knew, though, he knew that would never happen. He knew someone would come because they always did. She was thrown aside, out of danger and into the comfortable realm of safety. He felt relieved and yet wholly unsettled.

He found that annoying.

And here he was again with her facing him. She looked frightened and he just looked at her the same way he always did. He stood there, wondering silently to himself if anything had changed. He could see her lips move, mouthing his name, the ever-present affection in her words was not lost on him. Nothing had changed and he felt relieved. He threw his head back and looked to the sky, closing his eyes, waiting. She did the same but kept her eyes open.

The sky was changing.

"What are you waiting for, Sasuke-Kun?"

Her eyes did not move. Neither did his mouth.

"It looks like rain."

His eyes remained shut; as did his mouth. Her eyes closed and she let the rain fall on her closed lids, reveling in the sensation of the falling water.

"Sakura…"

He finally spoke and her head snapped down to look at his neck, still extended towards the sky. Slowly, very slowly, he brought his head back down to earth and opened his eyes. They were a dark, cloudy gray, swirling like the stormy sky above them. They turned a murky brown for a moment before coloring into a pure, undiluted red.

His eyes had changed.

He lunged at her, weapon in hand. She did not move and it annoyed him. He had changed just like the rest of the world and yet she still treated him the same way. She had stepped into the battle, in the midst of danger and treated it as nothing.

Because, to her, he had not changed.

He found that annoying.

He had her pinned against the cold mountainside. The rain poured down on them both in its undiscerning manner. She began to shiver and he pressed himself closer, offering warmth and the point of his sword. He brought himself closer and closer and pierced her skin and her heart. She coughed and sputtered and his heart dropped. She caught it as she fell to the ground, looking up at him, smiling.

She was annoying, and that had never changed for Sasuke.

He joined her on the ground, pulling his sword out of her. He then pulled her close and let her red shirt stain his to the same color. The rain poured on them both in its undiscerning manner, washing away the red from him and her. His eyes reverted back to their darkly swirling gray and hers remained green. The rain continued to beat down on them, pulling the red completely away from him, his shirt once again its pure white. Hers remained red.

He loved her, and that had never changed for Sasuke.

"They'll come, I know they will. They always do."

She coughed and sputtering, squeezing his heart as she smiled. The rained poured on her, it poured on him, in its undiscerning manner. The brown dirt beneath them was slowly stained to an undiluted red and yet her shirt had not changed colors.

"Nothing every changes, not with you. They will come, I know they will. They always do."

The rain continued to pour and she continued to smile and his heart continued to beat. He did not want hers to stop because that would be a change that neither of them could handle.

"Don't change, don't ever change."

He clung to her as tightly as she clung to his heart.

The rain stopped, but her smile didn't.

She would never change.

He knew. He knew that they would come. They always did.

"S-Sakura-Chan?"

They saw him lying on the ground next to her, holding onto her hand. She was facing him, smiling.

"Sasuke-Kun."

She smiled, squeezing his heart as she did.

Nothing would ever change.


	2. Melted

He pulled her close, acting like a second skin. The heat of the sun beat down on his back, burning him until he peeled himself away. His back met the cool, white sheets and he let out a quiet hiss of satisfaction.

Her arm was stuck to his, the perspiration acting as an adhesive. The curtains billowed against the open window, their shadows moving playfully over her legs. The soft heat of the sun kissed her calves and she rubbed them together, reveling in the sensation. Restless, she turned over, their arms tearing away from one another audibly.

She met his frown with a giggle. The linen beneath her began to grown uncomfortably warm and she scooted closer to him, hoping her thighs would meet a bit of untouched fabric but they met his thighs instead.

He pulled her close again, this time placing her on top of him. The linen beneath him began to grow uncomfortably hot and he pulled her closer to him. She wrapped her leg over his and stroked her warm, inner thigh over his cooler one. The sun beat down upon her softly, it's shine wrapping around her head like a halo only interrupted by the curtains billowing behind her.

His hands stroked the soft skin at the base of her spine, his fingers dipping into the dimples there. They ghosted up and paused for a moment in the midst of their trek. His cool hands were warmed by the sun and cooled by the shadows. They continued up until his fingers met the soft, sticky hairs clinging to the base of her neck. He weaved his fingers through them and extended his hand out, admiring the way the sunlight bounced off of each piece. The curtains billowed behind them. His pale hand began to color to the same shade as her hair. He placed his hovering hand on the back of her head and pulled her in.

Her breasts were pressed up against his chest, and she was she he could feel how fast her heart was beating as he placed his warm lips upon her cooler ones. Both their movements were soft, tentative, as though they were their first movements together. Her lips were cool, but her body was hot. His lips were warm and his body cool.

They melted together.

For a long while, they stayed together, unmoving. Her cool lips were on his and his under hers. The curtains behind them began to billow more violently and the sun had long since disappeared behind the dark clouds in the horizon.

And still, they were together, melting.

Sometime in the heat the night offered, they switched positions and Sasuke's cool head rested upon Sakura's warm breasts. Her arms held him close to her and her legs blanketed him.

The moonlight cooled her fingers and Sasuke's back kept them warm.

She did not know when she had dozed off, but she did. It was sometime between after dark and before morning that Sasuke pulled himself away. He felt the protest as his skin stuck to hers as though it was supposed to be that way.

He stood at the window unmoving like the curtains, silent as the sky. He looked at her on the pile of rumpled bed sheets and closed his eyes. He did not open them until he was out of her window.

Sakura woke up then and saw the curtains billowing outside the window, knowing whom they followed.

She closed her eyes again and turned to her side and wrapped the sheets around her.

In the distance, Sasuke's cloak lay still. He looked at her from afar, only for a moment, and then turned around.

His cloak pulled him back towards her for a moment, but another step of his would overpower it.

But he would be back; no matter how many steps he took in the other direction, he could not overpower her pull on him.

And for the rest of the night, the wind howled gently, hissing his name, hissing hers, as though they were melted together.

_Don't leave me, Sasuke._

_I never do._


	3. Konohagakure

"This is no life for a child, Sasuke."

"I know."

The trees rustled softly, letting go of leaves as they did. Swirls of red, brown and green fluttered through the air and traveled up the walls of Konohagakure.

Sasuke stood with his back turned to the village and stared at Kakashi who was facing him.

"She needs a mother."

"She has one."

Kakashi rubbed his head equally out of frustration and awkwardness. The leaves fluttered around his feet.

"You could come back. This is your home and we're all your friends. We'll help you."

"But she wasn't just my friend, Kakashi."

The soft pitter-patter of feet against moistened grass alerted both men and their attentions were diverted to the little creature emerging out of the bushes. Sasuke's brow softened and Kakashi's posture slackened. Sasuke stepped forward, his hand emerging out of the confines of his cloak in an offering to the small girl buried in the green.

"Good-bye, Kakashi."

Kakashi blinked an eye and focused on Sasuke's back.

"It would be better for her to stay here. You know that this is no life for a child."

"It's the life of mine."

Sasuke did not look back but the little girl turned her head. Kakashi could see her clearly for a moment as she walked towards the fast approaching sunset. Her hair wisped about her face like small black snakes, whipping in the wind. Her eyes were green, like the forest she had just emerged from. Her figure became smaller and smaller until her eyes became brown and then a familiar red.

Just like the leaves.

A smile found its way into his mask in remembrance of an old student of his. The wind picked up the leaves that had begun to settle on the ground and flew them up into the air. Kakashi turned around, each step taking him away from the last bit of Sakura in the world.

The wind continued to push the leaves up the walls of the village until the walls were completely hidden beneath them.

Kakashi walked towards the leaves while Sasuke walked away.

But in his hand, he held onto a piece of the village hidden in the leaves.

He smiled and continued walking with her skipping beside him.


	4. Life

**A/N: **_Red and green are complimentary colors that go together because they stand alone from the other; when mixed, you get the color brown._

_Wowee, 4 chapters already? I think I'm about of ideas anyway._

_I've been wondering what everyone thinks so, if you could, please review!_

_To be honest, I do have another idea, but it will only work if there's a bit of a comedic element thrown in and, in case you couldn't tell, I lack the talent for situational levity. Oh well, I'll try anyway._

_Please, review!_

***

Sakura ripped off her gloves and placed her bare hands over Sasuke's weeping chest. Warm fluid gushed through the thin fabric of his shirt and stained her hands. Her hands shook violently as cool green chakra enveloped them, the blood turning brown through the haze.

The sun hung aloft in the sky, beating down on Sakura as she hovered over Sasuke, her shadow barely covering his torso. Sweat dripped from her brow onto the placid body beneath; they were soon followed by her tears.

She wanted to save him, to thank him this time. Her memories of him were filled with his back facing her, protecting her, saving her. Now she was looking down on him and he was looking up at her.

She wondered, for a moment, what he saw in her.

Was she a friend? An enemy? Were the situation reversed, would he ram his sword through her and rid her of the misery?

"Hold on, Sasuke-Kun."

The green glow strengthened and she could see the raging red waters quiet and calm until the flow of blood likened itself to a weak stream.

Sasuke's grip on the ground tightened and blades of grass and specks of dirt were caught under his bloodstained fingernails. He tried to speak but could only do so in colors as he coughed and sputtered, choking on life.

Soon, the blood flow from his chest stopped completely and Sakura pulled her hands away, exhausted. The sun had moved west and Sakura looked towards it before looking down at Sasuke.

The small, red river flowing out of his mouth caught the glint of the sun and blinded Sakura for a moment. It was then that Sasuke struggled to get up, pushing down on the grass as he did. Sakura reached out and wrapped a tired arm around his shoulder in an attempt to admonish him for moving but the reprimand was lost in her throat as he collapsed into her.

She held onto him on that hillside and he held onto her. They didn't say a word until the sun had completely disappeared.

"Hold on, Sasuke-Kun."

His grip on her arm tightened.

That night Sakura held onto him and whispered affections into his ear and, for once, he listened. The next day, she would throw her head to the heavens and cry in agony as her heart broke. Next week, she would run out of Konohagakure in blind rage and destroy half the landscape. Next month, she would hide herself away from the world and scarcely speak a word to anyone. Next year, she would laugh again.

In the next life, she would find him.

But that night, she held onto him as tight as she could as she watched the small stream of blood pour out of his mouth continuously. Occasionally, her hand would roam his chest in a blind search that would end in her agony. So she did what she could and looked at him looking at her. No questions floated through her mind that night as she pressed her lips to his.

The sun came back around east and Sakura refused to look at it as it flew at them westward. The blood ceased its perpetual trickle and Sasuke finally spoke.

"Thank you,"

His hand reached up and a thumb brushed the dried blood off the side of her lip.

"Sakura."

And she threw her head to the heavens, crying out in agony as her heart broke.


	5. Beginning

Sasuke wiped the corners of Sakura's eyes with his thumbs and lifted her chin with the rest of his hand. He looked down at her and sighed as he felt her tears continue to roll down into his palms.

"Sasuke-kun," she seemed to beg.

His eyes, like his head, lowered.

"Why…" she began.

A question.

"Why does it have to be so hard?"

Sasuke could not think of an answer so he said nothing. He didn't move; he held onto her still.

"For us?" she added.

Sasuke pursed his lips and pressed his forehead against Sakura's. He opened his eyes and looked at Sakura's for a moment before shutting them, his face straining as he felt the violent rush of blood returning to his head.

"Sakura…" he sounded like he meant to continue, but didn't.

The bed squeaked beneath them unstably. Sasuke knew the occupants of the room below them were probably annoyed half to death by them now.

He wrapped his arms around Sakura and fell back against the lifeless pillows. Within the crook of his arms she cried freely. She thought of how annoying she must have been at that moment and cried harder. Sasuke said nothing and pulled her closer, tighter. He kicked his leg a few times until he could wrap the blanket around them.

"I'll walk you back in the morning."

Sakura looked up at Sasuke and could think of nothing to say in return. He thought of how wonderfully endearing she looked with her beet red nose and swollen eyes.

She quieted down then and rested her head against his shoulder. He pressed his nose into her hair, inhaling the remnants of her scented shampoo. Her breathing steadied and he soon followed her, hoping they would never have to wake.

Sasuke woke up sometime in the middle of the night.

_Three hours left_, he thought.

Normally, he would have gotten up to leave, but Sasuke remembered his promise. He'd have to take her back sometime before dawn, right before the shift change when the night watchmen are the most tired.

_Two hours left_.

She had moved away from Sasuke with her back turned toward him. He watched the slow rise and fall of her chest and sighed.

_One hour left_

Sasuke moved toward Sakura and wrapped and arm around her and breathed into her neck. He placed his lips over the steadily thrumming artery at her neck and remained that way for a while. He pulled away, lips still warm from the contact. He licked his lips. They were cold again.

They walked along the dirt path in silence. For Sasuke, this was normal. For Sakura, it was abnormal. Her insides were twisting and turning at the thought of being with Sasuke with the sun in the sky. It had been so long since she had been able to do that; she felt thirteen again and smiled. She fought back the rush of blood to her face by placing her hands on her cheeks and, consequently, her pace fell behind Sasuke. She had been looking down and could not prevent her bumping into his back. She rubbed her nose and looked at the back of Sasuke's head perplexingly.

"Sasuke, what is—"

Sakura looked over his shoulder and answered her own question before she could ask.

Sakura ran.

She stumbled over rocks and rubble, averting her eyes from the bodies of men, women, and children strewn across the vast expanse of what remained of the village. She looked around for any signs of life, fearing that she was alone.

The rise of the sun seemed too slow, illuminating the earth only an inch at a time. The yellow light soon flew over her head and reached the corner of the valley. The sky was a taunting shade of blue. In the distance, she saw a few fumbling bodies and a flash of orange. Her heart dropped.

Sakura turned around and looked at Sasuke. The wind was pulling him in but pushing her away. She thought, for a moment, back to when they were both thirteen, when everything was easy. The wind pushed the gray dust out of her vision and she saw Sasuke clearly and remembered they were sixteen.

_Why does it have to be so hard for us, Sasuke?_

Sometimes, for Sakura, it was too difficult to remain like this. To sneak in and out of Konoha to spend the night with someone she was better off forgetting. She felt like a liar, a double-crossing hypocrite, a fool. She looked at Sasuke and thought of everything he was capable of doing. And then she thought of herself and fell to her knees.

Sasuke looked at Sakura fall and saw Naruto rush to her side. His arm was around her and his mouth was against her ear, obviously whispering comforts into her ear. But Sakura looked at Sasuke and Naruto did so as well. They were all speechless.

Sasuke did not know what Sakura thought of him then but knew nothing he could do would help. So he stayed there.

Now, they are at an impasse.

She will not have to sneak out of Konoha anymore. She will never have to return. She will never have to leave his side. It's easier, isn't it?

Together, they are complicated, beautiful, incandescent, transcendent.

He is Sasuke.

She is Sakura.

He will call out her name and she will run to him. Naruto will pull on her arm, try and call her back. But he will know that he has nothing to do with them, he does not fit into their world.

They will not last long. They were never meant to. She will fall before him and he will hold onto her. He will destroy her because she will destroy him. They will be the end of each other.

"Sakura," he calls out.

It begins.


	6. Spring

_Rated for innuendo. I'm getting a bit bolder, I think. Rating change for personal motivation. _

_Please read and review! :)  
_

* * *

Sasuke loved everything about spring: The plush hillside glowing green with the constant rain, the quietly budding flowers whipping in the whistling wind, the birds chirping with the morning dew. It was all oddly serene, calm. It had a way of forcing itself on Sasuke and he could sometimes feel the heat in his body rise and be chased away by the sun along with the rest of the morning mist.

He adored walking over bridges, listening to the babbling brook and he picked at splinters, waiting. He tolerated the occasional off day due to a high pollen count and chose instead to fight through with the aid of tissues and a heavy dose of allergy-fighting medication. And on better day, he would rely on his sense of smell to guide him.

Sasuke would often stop to gaze on the yet to bloom buds and thought of what the future entailed for them. There were so many colors, shades, hues; it was like looking at all the world in a single, small patch of flowers.

He would sometimes lean in and touched the closed petals, wondering what they were hiding; wondering what would happen if he were to pry them open. Would they fall apart immediately? Or would they wither slowly, petal by petal, into his awaiting palm?

He fought back the urge to do so many, many times already, always telling himself that it was best to wait, wait, wait, wait, _wait._ Time would fix everything.

The flowers would soon bloom, ready to be plucked from the comfort of the dark, moist soil. And, like the sweetest fruit, Sasuke would savor the weeping scent the fresh bloom would offer. It was his favorite part about spring: The flush of the flowers.

Sasuke never picked more than one flower, knowing what he wanted exactly. The process was often drawn out, despite his singling out the blossom almost immediately. And when he finally did bend down to steal away the bloom, he would stroke the petals before plucking them. And when the flower was bare before him, he brought it to his nose and inhaled its sweet, unguarded scent. He thought of spring and how much he loved it.

She was Haruno Sakura: A flower whose bloom was as fleeting as the season of her namesake. Sasuke loved everything about her.

He recalled how long he had waited for that moment. He thought of how many springs had passed them by. He thought of how lovely she looked in full bloom.

Sasuke had waited and waited and _waited_. And now, he could finally pick Sakura; he could finally pluck her, petal by petal, until she stood before him completely bare. And he did. He brought her in close and inhaled her sweet, unguarded scent. He came at her like a bee, invading the center, most intimate part of a flower, and made her reverberate as he moved inside her. It was rhythmic, natural, like the spring. And like the spring, the moment was fleeting and passed quicker than it came.

Sasuke was like the seasons, moving with the earth. But Sakura was the spring, a part of Sasuke.

And, like her, he would always return.

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A/N:_ Over 1,000 hits and not a single review! Would anyone like to change that?  
_

_I think I'd better get back to Sanguine.  
_


	7. Angels

_...You all have no idea how badly I squealed when I saw I got two reviews! :) I'm on a roll_

_And thank you._

* * *

"If we were angels," Sakura began, leaning back in her chair as she tilted her head to look up at the starry sky.

"I think we'd be the worst."

Sasuke said nothing and just stared off in the distance, looking over the shadowed trees and distant lighted city.

"We're too selfish."

"Then why compare us to angels?"

"I don't know; it was just a thought."

Sasuke disregarded her remark with one of his nonverbal grunts.

"Who's to say angels aren't selfish?" he asked finally. Sakura, who was not aware of her tapping feet until that moment, stopped, astonished at his contribution to her flittering thought.

"We might be wrong. If we've learned anything, Sakura, we've learned that we know nothing. Nothing until it's too late."

"But angels protect us, Sasuke. It's their duty to help those of us here on Earth."

"What about those stories about angels earning their wings? Their helping you results in their gaining something. It's not selfless, it's self-interest."

"But I always thought selfishness was a worldly sin and that it wouldn't apply to anything out of this world."

"Angels were once humans."

"I know. But what about the others? The archangels. Haven't they always existed? They are human in appearance, but they were never like us."

"But they are capable of human atrocities."

"What do you mean?"

Sasuke paused and brought his brows together in thought and hesitation.

"God loved Lucifer the most an hour before he fell."

Sakura turned to Sasuke and looked on his strained profile, wondering whom Sasuke likened himself to. And then Sakura wondered how she fit into the picture before concluding that she did not.

Sakura was the one lost between the pages: The unknown, unnamed angel that chased after the fallen one and caught him before he hit the ground and shattered completely. She was the one who stood behind God as he banished the one he loved most.

She placed her hand over Sasuke's, running her thumb over it in a comforting gesture. Sasuke didn't look at her, but rather at her hand on his, blinking once, twice, before looking at the dark sky. And they sat there, looking east, an hour before the dawn.

And they could see it; it was not as bright as the sun or moon, but it was there. And as the hour wore on, it continued to fade into obscurity.

Sasuke stood up then and walked away, Sakura following closely behind.

* * *

_A/N: I think I might try and have Sasuke and Sakura actually happy and at home together...maybe._

_Whose waiting for Sanguine? Just curious ;)  
_

_Review?_


	8. Seven

_A/N: How ironic for this to be chapter 8._

_Overwhelming response since the last chapter! It made me incredibly happy and borderline giddy. I changed the category to angst despite my initial intention for this to be romance. I will find it in me, though! I swear!  
_

* * *

_Seven_

That's how old they were when they first met. A simple exchange of glances across the sandbox had her lose her heart and him gain another. They were young then, with innocent speech and a sweet demeanor. They knew nothing of the world but everything about their own. It was perfect. And a small part of them shall forever remain seven years old.

_Seven_

That was the number of their team. They each gained a friend, a teacher, and the awkwardness that accompanied adolescence. He, along with other boys his age, could not help but stare at every part of every girl but their face. She, along with other girls her age, could not help but dream about marrying their one true love. And it was she he often looked at and him she often dreamt of.

_Seven_

That was the number of dreams they had of one another at the cusp of their growing into themselves. Hers were often long, sensually drawn out. She dreamt of him kissing her everywhere and the feeling was almost tangible. She dreamt of him ripping her clothes off one night and clawing at her hips one night and a slow, burning passion that left her twisting in her sheets another. He dreamt of her teasing him with coy glances and bare thighs. He would dream of her stripping herself bare, covering herself coquettishly before dropping her hands completely. They were both left unfulfilled by their dream partner and woke in the middle of the night, breathing heavily and thinking of the other. And their hearts would guide their hand and they would whisper out a name in the end.

_Seven_

That was how many years passed before he came home. She cried that day and he stood there, saying nothing as she said everything. It was a simple welcome back, but it meant so much more for her and the world for him. He cupped her face with his hands and looked at her glistening cheeks and puffy eyes red from frantic rubbing. He pulled her in close and cried. She was as silent as he was.

_Seven_

That was how many months they had, more or less, avoided one another. There was the occasional run in on the street, but that was almost always immediately followed by a quick turnaround or a sidestep by one or the other. On the first day of the eighth month, he had been returning from the market and she had been returning home from the hospital. The run-in on the street was not followed by the aforementioned avoiding techniques, but rather an exchange of formalities followed by his inviting her in for tea. She smiled and agreed. He turned away content.

_Seven_

That was the number of days in a row they had spent with one another on the eighth month since his return. The tea spilled and had her stay until lunch and subsequently led her to dinner the next night and long after the following evenings. Their evenings together were quiet but wholly occupied with whispered conversations that, in nature, were nothing harmful, but sounded more sinful that intended. It was not long before the talking fell in proportion to the drawn out silences. But the silences were not useless, for the tension was palpable and pushed down on her chest until her breath came heavy; it seemed to have the same affect on his eyes, for they were hooded and made it look as though her was looking at nothing but her.

_Seven_

That was the length of the night they had spent together. The tension had grown to a breaking point until she snapped and confessed again. He said the same thing again. She cried again. He caught her as she fell again. But he held onto her and did not let go; she wouldn't let him. Their fists were tight as they pulled at one another's clothing. Nails were sharp against their scarred skin. Hands were rough with calluses. Hearts were soft from breaking. Hips were swaying, his chest panting, her breasts heaving. Tears were shed as a release came and he exhaled all his anguish and sorrow and as she inhaled it all in. They did not wake until seven in the morning as the dew began to evaporate from the windows and the birds signaled the new day. She listened to his heart beat and leaned against his chest, her breathing soon falling into unison with his. And she exhaled with him those sorrows and all the anger with hot tears. He woke up then and they knew what they were.

_Seven_

That was the number of minutes it took for him to ask her to stay with him forever. She replied with one word. He smiled.

_Seven_

It was their number.

And seven seconds before she closed her eyes for the last time, she offered eight letters she had given daily for seven decades. Seven seconds after she closed her eyes, he did the same.

* * *

_A/N: What did you think? Hopefully it's not as severe as my previous work._

_Thank you to everyone who reviewed and all the feedback! I'm still smiling._


	9. Questions

Can we be together?

Can we forget who we are, where we come from, and all the expectations?

Will you abandon your home? Will you follow me endlessly around the world? Will you do anything?

Shall we travel across foreign lands? Adopt aliases? Pretend we're something we're not?

Won't you forget me? Won't you grow up? Won't you look at me and then at yourself and finally see sense?

Do you promise to never leave me? Will you always have a side for me to stand by? Will you look at me and think I'm beautiful?

When the day comes, will you leave me? Will you ever see how ugly I am?

When will you trust me?

How will I save you?

Won't you look at me?

Don't you see?

Will you ever see me as so much more than a teammate?

Can't you see?

Will you take me with you?

Can you live with a monster?

Do you love me?

Don't you hate me?

Can't we be lovers?

Aren't you here to kill me?

I love you.

Kill me.

Why?

I want to die.

I want to be with you.

Can we be together?


	10. Waiting

**A/N:** _Sorry everyone, I started college and have been busy with classes. I am ignoring a research paper and speech to write this. Anyone interested in my other works? Or would you like me to continue with these brief one shots? I don't think I have the knack for multi-chaptered stories quite yet but please feel free to leave a review. I'm an English major with a creative writing emphasis and would like to know if I have the talent to write a novel._

_Would you be interested in any original works of mine? Sorry, I'm babbling. I do that a lot. Anyway, enjoy and review!  
_

* * *

She waits for him in the park. It is the afternoon and the whole town is bustling with life. She can hear the wind stirring in the grass and the distant giggling of the children running through it. She waits and waits and waits until the sky grows red. The world is quiet. Her steady heartbeat deafens her and she knows she's alive.

He rests in a cave. Sleep eludes him and the soft pitter-patter of raindrops against the rocks grows stronger every moment until it is a deafening roar. He lies down, pressing an ear against the cold stone floor and sighs. A steady thrumming reverberates into his ear and he closes his eyes. He is alive.

She waits for him at the bridge. It is night. The stars are shining and the moon is at its brightest. Her palms begin to sweat and her heart is racing so quickly, there is no discernable rhythm. Her toes curl and instinct tells her to run but she doesn't know where she would go. She looks around and sees that she is alone. The gentle trickle of water in the distance seems to disappear. The cold air joins her feet and swirls around her. She digs her nails into the wooden railing and bites her lip. She feels nothing.

He walks by a sakura tree in full bloom. A gentle gust of wind forces a handful of petals off the branches. They float to the ground, dancing as they meet their death. One petal brushes across his nose and he felt the fresh dew of the season for just a moment before it faded away. His steps grew cautious but no matter how hard he tried, he would step on the remnants of the flowers. Then, without warning, he steps returned to their heavy pace.

She waits for him in her room. It is the morning. The sun is creeping up over the hills in the distance and she looks out her window, hoping to be greeting by a familiar silhouette. The world has yet to wake with her and she knows she is alone. But a moment passes followed by another and the chirping of birds and the rustling of the leaves from the forest grow louder and louder and louder until she realizes that the world never waits. It goes on while she is left behind to wait for her world to return to her. She is alone and she feels everything. She cries.

She will wait and he will go on. She will find him one day and run toward him as he does nothing but she doesn't care. He is a rock and she is the sea. He will stand still, unmoving, unfeeling. But she will crash into him over and over and over, carrying away bits of him every time she does. And one day, he will be with her, complete and free.

And so she waits.

* * *

_Please take a moment to review :) Thank you._


	11. Choke

**A/N:** _I am horrible. I don't condone this kind of relationship but all directions led me down this path. This was due to be up a few days ago but the internet in my building has been unforgiving. Dorm life is full of ups and downs._

_I'm working on a lengthier, darker, more mature one shot that will probably have a bit more meat to it in terms of depth and understanding. Midterms are almost over ;D  
_

* * *

Sakura loved how he took her breath away.

It never mattered where or when, he would always find a way to do it.

She never knew what would be next with him and she loved it. She loved how much she didn't know him and knew she was the one that knew the most. To her, it made sense.

He hated how he never knew how to act around her.

It never mattered what he was doing, she would always find a way to stop him in his tracks and rethink everything.

He knew nothing about her and knew he never would. But still, he would never tire of the way her lips parted and her chest expanded, breasts stretching the fabric…

What was it?

She called it love.

She wanted to be close to him; to touch and be touched. It killed her inside to see him step away from her so she would always step forward. Toward him. To live.

He found her annoying sometimes and would pick up his pace, hoping she would not see the falter in his step. But she would follow him no matter what and found it in himself to slow down for her. And when he turned around to look at her, the world slowed down for him.

With every step he took, her heart rate gained a beat. She could feel the blood drain from her face and rush down to her toes, the tingling sensation making them curl with…

What was it?

He called it fear.

When he touched her arm, stroking it with one long, pale, cold finger, he could see her flesh pucker. The pad of his index finger stole the warmth from her body and he wanted to die right then and there.

She closed her eyes and told him nothing he didn't know already. She opened them and realized she knew what he would do next.

He placed both his hands on her arms, nails digging into her skin. The violent thrumming of his heart grew louder and louder as he lifted his hands, eliciting a hiss from her as her skinned reddened in their wake. His fingers splayed out across her collar and he shivered as she did. He placed a finger on the side of her throat and felt her heart beat. It was almost as erratic as his own. Almost. Slowly his fingers found their way to the back of her neck, massaging it slowly with aged hands. His gripped tightened as she exposed her neck.

"Sasuke,"

That was all she said. Lines of blue began to surface along the thin skin of Sasuke's hand. The convulsions of her neck thrummed against his hand and he shuddered. He stepped towards her and she took a step back, continuing until her back pressed against the wall. Placing a foot between her legs, Sasuke brought his face closer to hers, resting his cheek against hers. It was cold.

She felt him pull himself away. Her hands struggled against his but her gaze did not leave him. She saw it then, the twitch in his brow. She hadn't expected it but he pulled his hands away and she took one long, icy breath and collapsed before his feet.

He knelt down then, looking at her in wonderment, hoping she would give him a sign, a gesture, anything that would tell him it was alright. He buried his head in his hands, lamenting over the fact that he would never know her; he would never understand.

She reached up and pulled him into an embrace, resting her cheek on his scalp. She inhaled and smiled, holding of her exhale for him.

He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her towards him. She exhaled.

Sakura loved how he took her breath away.


	12. Dream

**A/N: **_I uploaded this way back in January, but took it down because I reworked it into an original piece for a class I was taking. Putting it back up now because I honestly forgot about it. More oneshots in the work and next chapter of Sanguine slowly on the way. It's summer and, as always, my interest in Naruto has been rekindled._

* * *

He came to her in a dream with promises of his return.

She woke up with a smile the next morning, peering out her window to look toward the horizon and the rising sun, expecting to see his shadowy figure crawl closer.

He was not there.

She looked out her window every morning that spring and continued through summer. The autumn months cooled the world down and left her a chilled sight come morning. Her motivation began to wane but she pressed on through winter and almost forgot about his promises.

He came to her in a dream with a whispered prayer. His breath, cold and almost real.

"_Sakura," _

She could say nothing and tried instead to reach toward him and pull him closer in a chilled embrace. She shivered as his breath crawled across her neck.

"_Wait for me."_

She buried her face in his neck, resting her temple against it in hopes that it would numb the headache that had settled from her held back tears.

"_Promise me you'll wait."_

Slowly, she pulled away and looked up into his eyes; they seemed to glow.

"I promise, Sasuke."

The world before her began to spin but Sakura stayed fixed on Sasuke's eyes; they remained unmoving.

Sakura greeted the morning with blue lips, smiling. The hinges to her window had frozen. She could not close it.

Spring rolled around but her frosted window remained as it was throughout winter. Sakura thought nothing of it and chose instead to focus on keeping her mind off the topic of her window and who she hoped to see framed by it in the distance.

Summer came once more and the frost seemed to have finally melted away from her window. However, heated days and humid nights gave her no motivation to try and shut her window. The mornings were fine and greeted her with a gentle breezing that cooled her heated face. She found herself tangled in her sheets and would often kick at them in frustration. Upon successful release from the confines of the wrinkled cotton, Sakura would lie on the bed, limbs akimbo as the air moved over her moistened skin. There were times, during that summer in particular, when Sakura could not help but to ignore what her left hand was doing and it worked, for what would follow always came as a surprise to her. Her knees would jerk and she would bite down on her right hand. She often wondered if she could actually wait.

He came to her in a dream with a warm embrace.

His breath burned her skin, leaving moist trails he would follow with his tongue. It set her skin aflame.

"_Sakura,_" he breathed against her neck. "_wait for me." _He bit down.

Sakura's cry was lost and her moan silenced as he made his way up to her ear. He kissed the skin beneath it and whispered again.

"_You promised me, Sakura."_ He bit down.

Sakura arched her neck away, closing her eyes and her legs for the same reason.

He moved again, his lips kissing away the tears that had managed to escape and his hand—

Sakura arched her back away from his hand and reached for his head, curling her fingers into his unruly hair, and pulled him close.

She could feel the breath of his words against her own as he spoke, "_Promise me you'll wait, Sakura."_ He kissed her lips. "_Promise me you'll wait and I will return to you."_ He bit down.

"I promise, Sasuke."

He kissed her again, swallowing her words.

"I promise you, Sasuke."

He kissed her and put her legs on his shoulders.

"I promise you I'll wait, Sasuke"

And then her world fell apart, but his eyes remained intact, hovering above her, out of her reach as she flew towards them, and then winking out of existence as she began her descent.

She woke up in the middle of the night. The crickets were silent.

Autumn rolled by without a word or a dream and winter followed suit. Spring came once more and summer passed by without much acclaim. And so it was for one decade followed by another. Sakura stood in front of her window one chilly autumn evening, peering out the cloudy glass toward the fast approaching night. Her weathered hands traced the pane, nails picking at the chipped paint. She caught a reflection of herself in the glass and was almost startled and completely heartbroken. It looked as though she laughed far too much and smiled one too many times. She knew she worried too much but found it hard to believe it would physically manifest on her forehead. It must have drawn even more attention as a result. Her hair had lengthened to brush past her shoulder but it had also lightened; tufts of silver had begun to peak out of her scalp. She looked tired.

Sighing, Sakura turned away from her reflection and crawled into bed. Already half asleep, she languidly pulled blanket after blanket onto her in an attempt to keep the chill away from her bones. Sleep came easily.

He came to her in a dream with a smile on his face.

"_Sakura,"_

She did not respond; she didn't want to.

"_Sakura, look at me."_

She was afraid.

"_Sakura,"_

She turned but saw nothing.

"_Sakura,"_

She squeezed harder.

"_Sakura, open your eyes."_

She almost refused.

There he was, hovering above. He hadn't aged a day. Sakura bit back a cry and turned away, burying her face in her hands in an attempt to muffle her cries.

"_Sakura, what's wrong."_

She wished he wouldn't say her name so often. It broke her heart.

"I'm leaving you behind."

He was silent.

"I've waited for so long but no matter how hard I try, I'm going to leave you behind, aren't I?"

If he was breathing before, she couldn't hear it then.

"You're not coming back, are you Sasuke?"

Nothing.

"Sasuke?"

Still.

"Sasuke?"

Everything was still.

Sakura turned around to look at what he was doing only to find him sitting in front of her, unmoving.

"_Sakura, I—"_

"No—don't say name, please Sasuke. I don't know if I can do this anymore."

She looked up at him then and her tears stopped.

"_I'm sorry."_

And his began to flow, washing her away. Unseen tides pulled her away from him but she could see his eyes in the distance, steady and unmoving.

Sakura woke up chilled to the bone; at some point in the night she had kicked the blankets off of her. She pulled them all back over her and slept the morning away.

One fine spring evening, Sakura dragged a chair over to her window. Grabbing a blanket off her bed, Sakura sat down in it and threw the it over her lap. She stared out the window toward the impending night with a smile on her face. She ignored the urge to get up and grab a pillow for the chair was more uncomfortable than anticipated and was doing a number on her hips. She rubbed her hands together, brittle fingers running over veins and liver spots. At some point, sleep claimed her.

Sakura woke with a start to face the rising sun. The light was blinding but she couldn't find the strength to bring up a hand.

He came to her then with his own stretched out to her.

"_Sakura,"_

She looked up to see he had not changed at all.

"_I'm here."_

"Sasuke?" Her voice cracked, weighed down with age and sorrow. "Where have you been?" She took his hand and struggled to stand.

"_I've been waiting."_

And then it was no longer a struggle as Sakura left the world behind to be with her own.


End file.
